Scoring the new Star Trek series

[Mudd]

Since its revival in 1979 Star Trek has played safe with the kind of "classical" symphonic scoring established as the default for cinematic epics by John Williams in the 1970s. Bombastic compositions proclaiming "This is Huge! This is important! Be moved!"

It's boring, conservative and doesn't even have the defense that "everybody does it" any more. Everybody doesn't.

Perhaps more pertinent, Trek didn't do it back during the original series. The series employed quite a few composers who brought a range of approaches to their episodes. A good deal of TOS music is modern (for the time) jazz-based; Courage's theme itself leans toward Swing. And some was, yeah, traditional orchestral.

It would be refreshing to hear the new series do something innovative, something experimental - or failing that, just something different and interesting. McCreary's scores for Battlestar Galactica and the music for Farscape come to mind as representative examples. Unusual instruments, something electronic, something rhythmic and percussive. Variety, from story to story.

 

[sojourner]

They should get Crystal Method or Daft Punk to score it.

 

[uniderth]

Epic Space Electronic Music. Enough said.

 

[T'Girl]

Got to go with bluegrass, no other options for Star Trek.







.

 

[eyeresist]

I predict there'll be some big orchestral themes (maybe associated with the ship), but there will also be bangin' techno, plus occasionally an electronic soundscape.

Hopefully no rock ballads.

 

[uniderth]

I predict there'll be some big orchestral themes (maybe associated with the ship), but there will also be bangin' techno, plus occasionally an electronic soundscape.

Hopefully no rock ballads.

I find your lack of Faith of the Heart disturbing.

 

[Nerys Myk]

More Beastie Boys

 

[GNDN18]

Bebe and Louis Barron.

Failing that, would looking at Kurtzman's other shows give us a clue? Sad to say, I'm not familiar with his television work.

 

[martok2112]

Since its revival in 1979 Star Trek has played safe with the kind of "classical" symphonic scoring established as the default for cinematic epics by John Williams in the 1970s. Bombastic compositions proclaiming "This is Huge! This is important! Be moved!"

It's boring, conservative and doesn't even have the defense that "everybody does it" any more. Everybody doesn't.

Perhaps more pertinent, Trek didn't do it back during the original series. The series employed quite a few composers who brought a range of approaches to their episodes. A good deal of TOS music is modern (for the time) jazz-based; Courage's theme itself leans toward Swing. And some was, yeah, traditional orchestral.

It would be refreshing to hear the new series do something innovative, something experimental - or failing that, just something different and interesting. McCreary's scores for Battlestar Galactica and the music for Farscape come to mind as representative examples. Unusual instruments, something electronic, something rhythmic and percussive. Variety, from story to story.

They should get Crystal Method or Daft Punk to score it.

Heh.... Both Bear MacCreary and Daft Punk came to my mind when I was thinking of opposite ends of the spectrum. Glad to know I wasn't alone in that thinking.

 

[sojourner]

Daft Punk's Sound track for Tron:Legacy is actually some really nice orchestral work and also sounds very "Star Trek". If you didn't know it and heard some of it, you could easily think it's from a Star Trek movie.

 

[Harvey]

If we're lucky, we'll get something that really breaks the mold. I've only seen the first few episodes, but what I've seen of The Knick has used a lot of electronic scoring that is antithetical to the music found in most historical dramas. It's my hope that a new Star Trek series will find a similar way to break the mold in terms of space opera music.

Barring something so inventive -- this is CBS, after all, which is not exactly known for pushing the envelope -- can we at least do something different than the "sonic wallpaper" that crippled so much of TNG, DS9, and VOY dramatically?

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

• Solar Fields (Mirror's Edge)
• Daft Punk
• Crystal Method
• Bear McCreary (BSG, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Dark Void)
• Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop, GiTS: Stand Alone Complex)
• Brian Eno
• John Carpenter
• Michael McCann (Deus Ex: Human Revolution)
• get a vaporwave artist or two in there, like Hong Kong Express, or something
• Trent Reznor
• Mark Mothersbaugh
• Paul Ruskay (Homeworld, Strike Suit Zero)

I dig the idea of casting net wide for Star Trek's soundscape. Stepping outside the conservative sound would really help punch up the aural feel of the whole shebang.

Hopefully in concert with punchier and slicker directing, blocking, and editing.

 

[C.E. Evans]

• Lady Gaga
• Chvrches
• Passengers (a.k.a. U2)

 

[urbandefault]

- Jack White
- Jack Black

 

[jefferiestubes8]

For more moody thinking-man's science fiction
Cliff Martinez
His soundtracks for films like Drive, only god forgives, contagion, spring breakers all would give Star Trek a much more cinematic modern feel.
If CBS producers want to use any of the old tv series themes or have "similar sounding" music then live orchestral music with brass is the TNG, VOY, and somewhat the ENT sound.
JJ Abrahams nuTrek movies has the big brass orchestra sound. Actually JJ Abrahms did orchestra in 2001 with Alias when most shows went with smaller soundtracks. So expect someone in JJ's camp to carry this on and use an orchestra for Trek theme song and a 13-episode series with 2 composers sharing the workload. While a single composer for 13-episodes would be great it is too much work to do for one person for high quality compositions writing.
For a 22-26 episode series I would love to hear 3 composers sharing duties including former Trek series composers like Ron Jones.
I think it would be great if this new series were able to use some old motifs and themes from any of the former series for any of the old alien races if enemies. It would allow an older composer like Ron Jones to cherry-pick the best element of previous work and expand from there. This is similar to what John Williams was able to do with the prequel Star Wars films starting in 1999 with Ep1TPM.
I would understand if this new series wanted new themes though. One of the great things about the new Star Wars TFA2015 movie is it is also John Williams which connects the new film to the previous 6.
Over the course of this new Trek series I'd love to hear a number of previous Trek motifs and themes used but not overused.

 

[StarCruiser]

Naw - they should have the Eagles do it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rOMGIbY-9s

(Should sound familiar to some...)

 

[trekfan_1]

I'm sure it will be mainly orchestral, but the bigger question for me if there will even be an opening theme. Sadly, the TV theme song is becoming extinct. Thats one of my pet peeves with modern TV shows. Most shows either have no theme at all and simply run their credits as the show is running or they have a 5 second "jingle" for a theme and thats it. It's sad that what used to be commercial bumpers is basically whats passing as TV "themes" these days. Since this is getting streamed and doesn't need to fill a TV hour spot, I hope it has a proper theme thats at least 45 seconds long.

 

[eyeresist]

I'm sure it will be mainly orchestral, but the bigger question for me if there will even be an opening theme. Sadly, the TV theme song is becoming extinct. Thats one of my pet peeves with modern TV shows. Most shows either have no theme at all and simply run their credits as the show is running or they have a 5 second "jingle" for a theme and thats it. It's sad that what used to be commercial bumpers is basically whats passing as TV "themes" these days. Since this is getting streamed and doesn't need to fill a TV hour spot, I hope it has a proper theme thats at least 45 seconds long.

Good points. I think they probably won't have a long opening theme, but might have a good tune for the end credits (as ENT did ). And since they won't have to cram into 40 minutes (at least on "first run"), they can take a bit of time. Let's hope they do.

(BTW, probably my favourite part of Agents of SHIELD is the end credits music! Epic stuff. So if McCreary gets the gig, I won't be complaining too much.)

Wouldn't it be cool if the end credits rolled over a spectacular space scene, rather than the standard starfield or boring black?
_

 

[martok2112]

Daft Punk's Sound track for Tron:Legacy is actually some really nice orchestral work and also sounds very "Star Trek". If you didn't know it and heard some of it, you could easily think it's from a Star Trek movie.

Believe me, I bought the soundtrack the same night right after I saw the film. The music in the movie very much caught my attention... especially the end titles. I love the end music.... uptempo version of the film's main theme. It rocked.

 

[uniderth]

The Tron Legacy soundtrack is awesome. It's a great blend of electronic and orchestral. I like the Oblivion soundtrack as well. A few of the Interstellar tracks are cool. Maybe something with a slight hint of Phuture Primative. So basically what I said earlier, Epic Electronic Space Music.